Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

Greetings Loyal Readers! The latest edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of community news you can use. We begin, of course, in the beginning with page one: coverage of the September Primary in the Bronx. It was a pretty predictable ending for the candidates, with no upsets. Typical for incumbents and party-backed candidates in the Bronx. Read up on the five races that could impact residents of the northwest Bronx. Inside the cover you’ll read on the opening of a dormant pizza stand in Norwood, and a stalwart saloon in Norwood that could be serving its last


Read More

A Rooftop Playground, Low Priority at Tracey Towers, to Get Facelift

Though Tracey Towers, Norwood’s largest cooperative and the borough’s tallest buildings, is home to some 869 families, refurbishing the towers’ lone playground remained low on management’s priority list for years. Sitting atop the towers’ parking garage, the aging centerpiece, a jungle gym, shows plenty of signs of wear and tear. Flaky and rusted, the gym stands unattractive and almost uninviting. A basketball court equipped with concrete risers, meantime, takes up half the rooftop. The playground and court’s sizes could barely accommodate the towers’ adolescent population. “Forty-two years, people. We’ve been trying to get this done for 42 years. It was


Read More

September Primary Results: Familiarity Trumps Fresh Faces in the Bronx

The Bronx political landscape stayed on course in the northwest part of the borough, with incumbents and frontrunners predictably winning in the September Democratic Primary, a contest that closely predicts the outcome of Bronx races in November’s General Election. The victories once again signaled the party machine at work, as major support and campaign money helped secure victories for the favorites. 36th Senate District The 36th State Senate District, covering Norwood, Bedford Park, Wakefield, Edenwald, Co-Op City, and Mount Vernon in Westchester County, saw Jamaal T. Bailey edge out four other contenders in a decidedly easy victory for the young


Read More

Editorial: Here’s Why Voting Will Change Your Life

By the time the next edition of the Norwood News rolls in, droves of voters will have headed to schools, community centers and the like to cast their ballot for their next legislator this primary election cycle. Or, if the cynical side prevails, they’ll stay home. Voting, it seems, has become blasé and an avoidable chore. Sadly, the Bronx, a borough that’s home to some 619,241 voters facing issues of income inequality, housing and health disparities, only saw 6 percent of its electorate go to the polls in 2015 (coincidentally, Norwood also had 6 percent of its residents go to


Read More

Inquiring Photographer: How Much Does Voting Mean to You?

With the Primary set for Sept. 13, this week we asked readers whether they vote and their thoughts on voting. I do vote. I voted for Obama in his two terms. I wanted to vote for Bernie Sanders, but now I’m going to vote for Hillary Clinton. It’s important to vote because they represent the people, and I think Donald Trump is an (expletive). I think Clinton has the backing of her husband, former President Bill Clinton, so I think she is fit for the job. Jamise Smith Norwood   Yes, I do vote and I think it’s very important


Read More

Previewing the September Primary in the Bronx

The September Primary, a solid indicator of who will win November’s General Election, is coming up in the Bronx. Several key Democratic races have heated up in the last few weeks before voters head to the polls on Sept. 13. The Norwood News breaks down some of those key races: 33rd State Senate District Senator Gustavo Rivera of the 33rd Senate District and City Councilman Fernando Cabrera of the 14th Council District took part in a heated debate on BronxTalk with Gary Axelbank. This is Cabrera’s second attempt at unseating Rivera, the incumbent who’s held the seat since 2011. Cabrera’s


Read More

Neighborhood Notes

Participatory Budgeting Workshop assemblies on Participatory Budgeting, a process where residents decide how $1 million of taxpayer money will be spent for community improvements in their neighborhoods, take place at the following locations: Bedford Park Senior Center, 243 E. 204th St., on Sept. 8, and at the Williamsbridge Oval on Sept. 28, both at 7 p.m. For more information or to RSVP, call the Office of Councilman Andrew Cohen at (718) 549-7300.  September Primary New York State’s Primary takes place on Sept. 13. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. across the Bronx. To find your nearest


Read More

Financial Focus: President Obama Wants to Know How Financially Literate Are You

Do you know what it means to your pocketbook when presidential candidate Donald Trump says, ” I’m going to lower your taxes” or his opponent, Hillary Clinton, says, ” We need more infrastructure to create jobs”? Wait, that can be a bit too out there so let me localize the question: Is your savings account getting more than 3 percent? Is your retirement investment account or 401(k) really going up or down? The stock market , for August, went down. The lack of financial planning or financial literacy, as we like to call it, is becoming very scary as we


Read More

Opinion: Mosholu Parkway No Place for Ball Sports

Perhaps you have shared an experience that was quite memorable when it happened to me—driving along the busy, fast-moving stretch of central Mosholu Parkway when a ball comes flying out in front of your car.  You brake quickly, bracing in fear that a child will scamper out into the street to retrieve the ball, then breathe a sigh of relief when that doesn’t happen. New York City Parks Department maintains the six-lane parkway’s trees, shrubs, flowers and benches, restful spots in the shade on a hot summer day.  Parks also maintains the paved bike lane and fenced recreation areas spread


Read More